The ʻulama of Farangi Mahall and Islamic Culture in South Asia

Book excerpt: The learned and holy men of Farangi Mahall were the consolidators in India of the rationalist traditions of Islamic scholarship derived from Iran. These were encapsulated in a renowned and widely-used syllabus, which they created and which became the dominant system of Indian Islamic education from the 18th century. By the 20th century these scholarly traditions, which represented a confident and flexible Islamic understanding, had been overcome by the twin forces of reform and Western education.